The Rev. Dr. Paul H. Spohn, 86, of Allentown, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, Nov. 12. He was the husband of Jane Ann (Sassaman) Spohn, to whom he was married for 63 years.
Born on July 23, 1933, he was the son of the late Paul R. and Helen Spohn. Paul (otherwise known as Skip) grew up in Wescosville and was a 1951 graduate of Allen High School and a 1955 graduate of Muhlenberg College. He earned a Master of Divinity at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1958 and a Doctor of Ministry degree at Eastern Baptist Seminary in 1990. He was a member of Christ Lutheran Church in Hellertown. After becoming an ordained Lutheran minister, his callings took him from Grimsville Parish in Kutztown (1958-1961) to Kempton/Stony Run Parish in Kempton (1961-1967) and then to Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lehighton, where he mostly raised his family (1967-1983). His final parish calling was to St. John’s Lutheran Church in Nazareth (1983-1989). He fulfilled his service to the Lutheran Church by becoming the Northeastern PA Synod Mission Director and Associate to the Bishop (1989-1998). He proudly served on the Muhlenberg College Board of Trustees for 14 years, and also served on the boards of the Lutheran Home at Topton, the Hemophilia Society and Wayne Memorial Hospital. In retirement, Paul moved to Hemlock Farms in Hawley to surround himself in the wilderness and get to know the many deer, bear, turkeys and other wild animals that would visit his yard. He also loved being close to his beloved Pecks Pond, where he spent many an hour with family and friends. Paul loved hunting, golfing, camping and fishing, and enjoyed sharing many “fish tales.” Paul and Jane Ann moved to Allentown in 2010. In his final years, Paul wrote about his life’s journey in a book he titled “My Book, My Life’s Journey; Artifacts and Gems Along the Road.” While it did not garner any high literary accolades, it certainly gave a beautiful overview of his life.
SURVIVORS
In addition to his wife, Jane Ann, Paul is survived by his three children and their spouses: Deborah Spohn and husband, David Dimmit, Peter Spohn and his wife Karen, Philip Spohn and his wife Lenore; and seven grandchildren. Patricia (Keiser) Bittner, wife of Larry Bittner, was a devoted blessing in his life along with Fred Keiser, Heng Leng and Chhap Leng.
SERVICES
A service of celebration and thanksgiving will be held on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019 at 11 a.m. at Nativity Lutheran Church, 4004 Tilghman St., Allentown, Pa. Please feel free to join the family for coffee from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. at the church. Following the service, there will also be an opportunity to gather in the church community room for a meal and fellowship. Funeral arrangements are by the Schmoyer Funeral Home, Breinigsville.
CONTRIBUTIONS
Memorial gifts can be made to the Rev. Dr. Paul H. and Mrs. Jane Ann Spohn Scholarship Fund at Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown, PA 18104, Attn: Office of Advancement/Mark Mazer or to Christ Lutheran Church, 69 Main St., Hellertown, PA 18055, Attn: Paul Spohn Memorial Fund.
